We're continuing an annual tradition of counting down the most popular articles of the year. This article was posted back in January and is #8 in our countdown. See #9 here.

When one considers how much business we get from that thing sticking in the front lawn of our listings, it's amazing how we take them for granted. One phone call and the sign is installed to our specifications. Another one and it's taken down and stored. Most agents never touch their signs unless it's to re-attach a wind-blown rider.

Like most aspects of the real estate industry, real estate yard signage is changing.

History of Real Estate Signage

Historically, real estate signs served two purposes: They advertised a piece of property for sale and provided contact information to interested buyers.

With the formation of real estate brokerages, real estate signs added another dimension: the opportunity to distinguish one company from another. It worked, too. Brokerages such as Century 21, Re/Max and Coldwell Banker created signs that remained the same for decades, firmly branding their logo into the minds of consumers.

This all started to shift about a decade ago, according to Monte Pratt of Jack Pratt Signs. "Agents no longer wanted to wrap their identity into the broker's identity," he recalls.